On Tuesday, June 2, the Senate Judiciary II Committee amended House Bill 473, then reported it out. The amendment added an additional training requirement for magistrates with a valid Right-to-Carry permit before they will be allowed to carry a concealed firearm into a courthouse, provided they are there on official business. The additional training must be “substantially similar to that provided to certified law enforcement officers in North Carolina .” The bill was then re-referred to the Senate Judiciary I Committee, where a hearing has yet to be scheduled. We will keep you updated on this legislation.

House Bill 1132, which was also scheduled for the Senate Judiciary II Committee, was heard on Thursday, June 4, where it received a favorable report. This bill states that if a Right-to-Carry permit holder applies for a renewal of his or her permit within 30 days of the expiration of the permit, the permit will be valid until the renewal is officially approved or denied. The next step should be the Senate floor, but we will also keep you updated on this bill.

Unfortunately, Senate Bill 928, the Castle Doctrine Bill, appears to be bogged down. This bill was referred to three separate committees, the first being the House Judiciary I Committee. That committee is Chaired by anti-gun State Representative Deborah Ross (D-38), and she appears to be unwilling to set a date for a hearing. Please contact Representative Ross and urge her to allow this critical legislation—which received overwhelming, bi-partisan support in the Senate—to be heard. Please call Representative Ross at 919-733-5773 or e-mail her at Deborah.Ro***ncleg.net. Also, please call or email your State Representative and ask them to urge House leadership to bring SB 928 up for consideration. You can call your Representative at 919-733-7928. To find your Representative, please click here.

Does anyone know if we have any bills yet to allow people to store firearms safely in their locked vehicles while at their place of employment? I seem to have read something about this happening in Indiana.

It's such a pain to have to go back to my house to get my gear before I go to the range. It would be better to be able to leave directly from my job and go to the range, but our rules state no firearms on company property.

joe

UPDATE: I think I answered my own question. Take a look at HOUSE BILL 1133.

1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT NO BUSINESS, COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE, OR
3 EMPLOYER SHALL PROHIBIT THE TRANSPORTATION OR STORAGE OF A
4 FIREARM OR AMMUNITION WHEN THE FIREARM AND AMMUNITION ARE
5 LOCKED OUT OF SIGHT IN A MOTOR VEHICLE.....

It's my sad duty to inform you that NC House Bill 1133 has been killed in the Judiciary I committee.

An e-mail reply from one of the sponsor's office:

Thank you for contacting our office concerning this important
legislation. House Bill 1133 died in Judiciary Committee and is not
eligible to be heard in the upcoming short session, however,
Representative Hilton plans to reintroduce the bill in the 2011 session.

That's how much I think that the legislature thinks of the 2nd Ammendment. I'm planning on trying to be prepared for 2011.